As the World Turns
by OMNISENSE95
Summary: After an eventful battle with Eggman, Sonic is gunned down by an unknown sniper, and dies. Aaron is determined to bring this villan to justice, and gets the aid of an intelligent teenage boy. Meanwhile, Sonic has to compete in the Reapers' Game. NekuxShiki, Sonamy, Aaramy, implied BeatxEri in a later chapter.
1. Sniper Fest

**Well, here is my newest story, As the World Turns! And it has nothing to do with the reality show of the same name. This is a crossover between "Sonic the Hedgehog" and "The World Ends with You". This first chapter will set things up, and anyone familiar with TWEWY should already have a decent idea of what's going to happen. Well, here you go.**

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**Chapter 1**

**Day 0**

**Sniper Fest**

**Sonic's POV**

Eggman sure pulled out all the stops this time around. Aaron and I have been chasing him around the globe, fighting his newest mech-fighter every mile. By now, we had reached a Japanese commerce center named Shibuya. I stared down with the mad doctor, as pedestrians fled for cover.

"Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! What chance do you stand, Sonic?" The doctor taunted. "We've been battling like this for five days! This Egg Seraph is unstoppable!"

I chuckled heartily at him.

"Let's be reasonable, doctor," I replyed. "Exactly, how many times have I foiled your plans?"

Eggman ignored the snarky comment, instead launching right into a battle.

This has been a lot more fun than I expected.

* * *

**Unknown POV**

Good. The target is locked in combat. I watched the fight with Egg Seraph in ominous glee. With that heterochromatic fox present, that hedgehog will be more distracted than normal.

The plan is simple; wait for the Egg Seraph's defeat, shoot the blue hedgehog, receive a payment of 900000000¥. Easy.

It looks like the final blow is about to be dealt. I got my rifle ready.

It's time to go to work…

* * *

**Aaron's POV**

I got a Chaos Javelin ready, and hurled it at the winged robot, piercing the energy core that had finally been exposed by one of Sonic's attacks. The heinous, angelic Egg Seraph started sparking in several places, finally exploding shortly after the doctor escaped in his Egg Mobile.

I was about to thank Sonic for letting me aid him in this fight, but I heard the bang of a sniper rifle in the distance.

And I was too slow to react in time.

I could only watch in horror as a bullet entered Sonic's back and exit through his chest in a flash of metal, the hedgehog's heart pierced through. A trickle of blood poured freely through both holes, gathering in a shallow pool at his feet. I watched as Sonic's eyes glazed over, and fall, endlessly for me, into the gathering pool of blood. As he hit the cold pavement, I gave a wrenched gasp as I heard him give his last breath. I didn't want to see it, yet I could not look away. I ran over, checking his pulse, hoping that, by some divine intervention, the hero still lived. But it was not to be.

Sonic the Hedgehog was dead.

"!"

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**Sorry it's short. Well, hope you liked, read and review, all that jazz.**


	2. The Skater and the Cherry Garden

**And now, the second chapter of As the World Turns! Sonic enters the Reapers' Game! Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 2**

**Day 1**

**The Skater and the Cherry Garden**

**Sonic's POV**

Pain was the only thing I felt as I slowly opened my eyes. I was lying in the middle of a four-way intersection, likely still in Shibuya, but all of the pedestrians were going about their business, completely ignoring me…

Or maybe they couldn't see me.

I remembered defeating the Egg Seraph, and then someone shooting me in the back from a long distance. I was dead.

I slowly got to me feet, and during the moment, noticed that I was holding something in my right hand. Opening it, I saw a small, black pin with a white skull design on it. I wonder why I have this. I tossed it upwards, and caught it as it came back down, testing its weight. The instant it landed in my hand, at least a hundred voices suddenly started talking in my head. So many, I was unable to pick out my own thoughts from the random voices.

Did I just… read the thoughts of the living?

I looked back at the pin in my hand. What is this thing?

I didn't have a lot of time to think about it, since almost immediately, I heard my ringtone (Dreaming of You by Selena), signaling that I had received a text message.

Who would be texting the dead?

I pulled my cell phone from my pocket, and opened the new message.

"_Reach the 104 building. You have 60 minutes._

_Fail and face erasure._

_-The Reapers."_

The Reapers? What do they mean by 'erasure'?

Seconds after I finished reading the text, I felt a stabbing pain on the palm of my right hand. Looking at it, I was surprised by the sight of a red timer counting down from sixty minutes, as if my very existence was ticking away with the time left to reach this destination.

No sweat. With my speed, they may as well have given me two minutes.

The thought was pushed away from my mind, as these creepy frog-like monsters suddenly started materializing before my eyes. They look vicious, and just attacked me relentlessly. I wasn't used to fighting things like these, and believe me, I tried fighting them, but nothing I did hurt them, so I did the thing I did best;

RUN!

I fled from the scene, the frogs in hot pursuit. Wow, they must be remarkably fast if…

Wait a second… shouldn't I have broken the sound barrier by now?

I was only running about as fast as an average human. I've lost my superior speed.

No… I can't be slow…

I'M SONIC THE HEDGEHOG! SPEED IS MY LIFE!

Oh yeah, I'm dead…

Chaos, this is so confusing!

* * *

**Aaron's POV**

I could pull my eyes away from the chalk outline that marked the position of Sonic's corpse at the time of death. What could I have done to prevent this from happening? Was there anything I could have done?

I didn't tell Tails or Amy about this yet. I didn't want them to feel the pain I was feeling right now.

I promise you, Sonic, you WILL be avenged. I will track that mystery sniper down, and KILL HIM WITH MY BARE HANDS!

Step number one of solving a mystery: investigate the scene of the crime.

That's what I was doing now. I picked up the bullet that had ended Sonic's life, examining it as closely as possible. Okay, Aaron, try to remember… what was the angle of the trail through Sonic's chest? Uh…

"Lose something?"

I turned sharply at the voice, seeing this orange-haired boy, about the same age as Sonic-give or take a few years-wearing violet headphones, and a high collar jacket, over gray shorts.

"No," I answered him. "I'm investigating a murder. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have clues to search for."

"The murder of Sonic the Hedgehog I saw on the news this morning?"

"That's the one."

I tried to ignore the teenager, going about the search diligently. From the corner of my eye, I could see him shooting a glance at the roof of a nearby office building.

"Kid, would you mind going on your way? There are numerous variables to consider here, and none are defined."

"Shows what you know."

I turned on him sharply. Is he suggesting that I'm stupid?

"Look, buddy, I WENT TO COLLEGE! I am far more intelligent than you ever will be!"

"Then you should have deduced the following; the sniper was positioned on a higher level of ground. That's why the bullet wound sloped downward. And Sonic was facing west at the time of the firing, and because the shot pierced him through the back, he would have had to have been hiding towards the east. For maximum visibility of the battle with the airborne Egg Seraph, he should have been positioned on a roof, placing the sniper's position… right there," he pointed at the roof of an office building a few yards away from the huge intersection.

I opened my mouth to shoot down this explanation, when I suddenly realized…

"You're right… you showed me up."

The boy appeared to smirk behind his collar. I can see I might need him to fully unravel the mystery of this murder.

"I'll help you with this, if you want me to."

"Yes, please." I replied hesitantly. "By the way, my name is Aaron Skyhart."

"Neku. Neku Sakuraba."

Neku, huh? I like that name.

"Well, this should be fun," I commented humorlessly.

* * *

**Sonic's POV (again)**

What the hell are these frogs?

Why can't I run at my typical speeds?

WHAT'S GOING ON!

No matter what I did, or where I headed, they just kept coming! I was starting to run short of breath. How much more of this could I handle?

"Someone HELP!"

Fortunately for me, someone had heard the plea, I from the corner of my eye, I could make out a teenage boy, probably two or three years older than me, riding this skateboard in my direction, and swinging it at the frogs. I stopped running to look back at the boy's handiwork, but grimaced when I saw them getting back up, ready for round 2. The skater turned to me in urgency.

"I need you to form a pact with me!"

"What?" Is he serious?

"It's the only way we'll be able to erase the Noise!"

Noise? Is that what you call those things?

"Come on, buddy!"

"A-alright." I finally gave in.

"I accept."

As soon as the words left my mouth, this blue light filled my field of vision, and I felt… stronger, somehow.

"What just…"

"Take this! It'll help you fight these things!" with that, the skater tossed this pin marked with a wind vortex at me. I stared at it in confusion. I raised my head to address the skater, but he had disappeared from view.

He ditched me.

I turned to the 'Noise', and saw one of them leap at me. In a panic reflex, I threw a hand forward. Imagine my surprise when a blast of wind emerged from my palm, impaling the frog, making it vanish.

Did… I do that?

SWEET!

With the power of that pin, I easily eliminated the remaining Noise, although I noted that some of the ones that survived my attack would seem to randomly disappear seconds later. After the last of them had been defeated, the skater from earlier suddenly appeared in front of me, but I was too absorbed in what was going on to be surprised. He seemed to get a really good look at me for the first time.

"Hey… aren't you Sonic the Hedgehog?"

I chuckled at his statement.

"The one and only. Thanks for the help against that 'Noise'" I made air quotes around the word.

"You're welcome. Call me Beat."

"Alright then, Beat, what exactly is going on here?"

Beat then proceeded to explain everything to me. The Reapers' Game. The Noise. The pact he and I made minutes ago. The entry fee (so that's it!). Everything. I took another look at my hand, seeing that the timer had reached FIFTEEN MINUTES!

Thankfully, Beat and I weren't that far from the 104 building, so we just ran right there, without any delay. We entered the parking lot of the building, and I glanced at my hand to see that the timer had disappeared.

We made it.

Now, if we can just keep this up for six more days.

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**And there you have it. Please Review.**


	3. Sherlock Skyhart

**And now, the third chapter to As the World Turns. This one will focus on Aaron and Neku. Day 2 of the Reapers' Game will take place in the next chapter. Well, hope you enjoy it.**

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**Chapter 3**

**Day 1**

**Sherlock Skyhart**

**Neku's POV**

Well, if what I know about Sonic the Hedgehog is accurate, he should have completed today's mission by now. Whoever he formed his pact with; he should probably be a suitable partner.

Regardless, I had to focus on hunting down the sniper. Aaron is determined to bring this mystery man to justice. He and I were standing on the roof I pointed out to him earlier. As I said, it provided view of the entire lot below, the remains of the Egg Seraph still present, ignored by the authorities. Apparently, the metal scraps were too heavy to be moved out of the way.

Aaron was looking over a rifle that was left behind by the culprit. The bullets inside matched the one he found near Sonic's "corpse". Note the quotation marks around the last word in that sentence. I am perfectly confident he will win the game. With or without his speed, he's still an able fighter. Although, when he returns to life, I just hope he'll be a little more subtle than I was.

* * *

_**Neku's Flashback**_

_Neku regained consciousness… back at Scramble crossing… Alone… With no one noticing him._

"_COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOME !" He screamed to high heaven, thinking he had to play the Reapers' Game for the fourth time. Several heads turned in his direction, almost all of them thinking he had lost his mind. Among the onlookers was Neku's older brother, Nodo Sakuraba. Nodo had the same orange hair as Neku, but his eyes were a deeper shade of blue, and his choice of clothing was the exact opposite of Neku's. Seeing Neku, Nodo stomped towards him, anger written all over his face. Nodo was completely unaware that Neku was ever killed, and thought his brother had simply gone missing._

"_There you are!" He stated. "Do you have-"_

"_How many times do I have to play this stupid game! TELL ME! TELL ME HOW MANY TIMES!"_

"_What are you-"_

"_What did I do to deserve this sort of treatment! HUH?"_

"_Neku…"_

"_Joshua, WHY DO YOU TORMENT MEEEEEE!"_

_Nodo was seriously losing his temper now, and in a spur of the moment, he grabbed Neku by his shirt, and slapped him across the face numerous times, finally getting his attention._

"_GET A HOLD OF YOUSELF, NEKU!" Nodo eventually yelled in Neku's face, proving his name said something about him._ (A/N: In Japanese, "Nodo" means "throat")

_Neku could only stare blankly at Nodo, finally taking notice of the other bystanders who were staring at him as if he had lost it._

"_First of all, what the hell are you blathering on about? Second, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN THE PAST THREE WEEKS! You plain disappear with no trace; Mom and Dad have been worried sick and blah blah blah…"_

_Neku had tuned Nodo out by then. He only had one thought in his head; he's alive again. He's really alive._

"_You're not listening to me, are you?"_

"_Of course I am."_

"_What did I just say?"_

"_You asked me where I was for the past three weeks, right?"_

"_Wrong answer, but still true. Do you have any idea how worried our parents have been? They had the nagging suspicion that you had been murdered or something."_

"_**You have no idea," **__Neku thought to himself._

"_Do you have any valid excuse for you little 'three-week-disappearing-act', headphones?" Neku could tell by the look on Nodo's face that he expected him to answer something like 'I had to get away from all the people' or something along those lines. Neku couldn't tell him that he had been shot and played some supernatural game three times to return to live, Nodo wouldn't believe him. No one would believe that, so Neku gave the first honest excuse he could think of._

"_I'm in love."_

"_WELL, LISTEN HERE MR. I-CAN'T-STAND-PEOPLE; I DON'T GIVE A… What?"_

"_I. Am. In. Love. What part of this is so difficult to understand?"_

_Nodo stared at Neku as if he had suddenly grown a second head. This was obviously the last thing he had expected his younger brother to say._

"_You… have… a girlfriend?"_

_Neku nodded to this, answering in the positive._

"_Her name is Shiki. I met her while on a walk around the city."_

_Nodo continued to stare at his sibling like a moron._

"_Could you let go of my shirt, please?"_

_**End Flashback**_

* * *

I still can't believe Nodo was so dense at the time. I tell him I have a girlfriend, and he stares in disbelief. True, I haven't seen Shiki at all since the Reapers' Game, but I'm certain she and I will cross paths again sooner or later. I just hope I'll recognize her.

Returning my attention to the present, I looked down, and notice something lying on the asphalt roof. I reached down to pick it up.

It was a catalog for a local scented candle store. I called Aaron over to show him the catalog, and noticed a look of recognition on his face.

"The Lighted Fragrance Candle Company… My dad is the new CEO."

"What?"

"He bought the company a few months ago, after his previous corporate business went bankrupt. Cost half of his life savings to do it, though."

"Wow, your family must be rich."

Aaron only glared at me, implying that the amount of money in the Skyhart's bank account wasn't much of a pleasant issue.

"Please. My older siblings and I all preferred to have friends who like us for who we are, not how many Benjamins we have in the bank. It's like cheating. Besides, none of it is being put to decent use anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"Dad has been spending the money he makes on the stupidest things possible; research into giant bread boxes, building the world's biggest treehouse, opening a Pizza Hut in space, the list goes on and on. What's more, he hasn't gone through with any of those projects. He just gives them the money, and tells them to forget about the project. He's a colossal idiot!"

"Your mother isn't happy with his antics either, is she?"

"I wouldn't know. She died of tuberculosis eight years ago, long before this supreme spending spree started."

Oh… I hope I didn't open any old wounds by doing that.

"Well… your daddy issues aside, we can probably infer that the sniper has a job at the local branch of the franchise, or at the least, is a regular customer."

Aaron nodded in agreement.

"We can head over to the store to identify suspects… but its Sunday. The store's closed."

"We'll have to wait until tomorrow to continue the investigation, then."

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**Well, this was a relatively long chapter. Hope you all liked it. Please review, and vote on my new poll.**


	4. Trust your Partner

**Well, this is the fourth chapter of As the World Turns. Day 2 of the Reapers' Game. What will Sonic and Beat mission for today be? Read and find out.**

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**Chapter 4**

**Day 2**

**Trust Your Partner**

**Sonic's POV**

I got up slowly and sluggishly, noticing I was in a new part of Shibuya. Why don't I remember passing out? I suddenly remembered everything that happened yesterday, and started looking around hastily for Beat. I found him lying unconscious a few feet away, slowly regaining consciousness. I ran over to him, concerned for his well-being.

"Hey, Beat, are you okay?"

"Just peachy," was his irritated reply. I took my phone out from my pocket, and noticed that the date had advanced an entire day. How long were we out?

"It plays out like this after every mission, Sonic," Beat informed me. "You pass out until the next day."

I stared at the skater in mild surprise. You don't even get to relax the remainder of the day? Shortly after I had that thought, I started to wonder…

"You talk like you've played the game before."

"Yeah, I did. Several times, but my first two times stick out the most in my mind."

"Why's that?"

"Because HE was involved in both of them… Neku."

"Who's Neku?"

Beat was about to provide his answer, but was interrupted by our ringtones sounding simultaneously. Blushing mildly at Beat hearing my own ringtone, I opened the mission description.

_Erase the Noise surrounding the fallen angel. You have 720 minutes._

_Fail, and face erasure._

_-The Reapers._

I felt the stabbing pain on my right hand, and saw Beat suffering a similar feeling. I examined my palm to see the timer had returned, counting down from the time limit given in the description. They figured everyone would be struggling to figure out the "fallen angel" part of the mission, that's why they gave us eight hours to complete it. I, however, already knew what they were talking about;

The Egg Seraph.

* * *

**Aaron's POV**

Neku and I stood there, in front of the Shibuya Lighted Fragrance Candle Shop. I had my human disguise up so I could blend into the crowd, in case the culprit was here. I didn't want him to recognize me and blow our cover. I glanced sidelong at Neku, and noticed that he seemed completely relaxed about entering the store. Me? Do NOT get me started.

"Well… this is it," I tried to break the uneasy silence. "Our hunt for suspects begins here and now."

"Don't get full of yourself during the identifications," Neku cautioned me.

I rolled my eyes at the warning. I gestured for Neku to enter first, but as he was walking, the door opened, and he bumped into someone exiting the store, sending both of them to the ground. I was concerned for both of them, but the other person really shouldn't have been carrying so many packages.

"Oh man, I am SO sorry!" The person Neku accidentally knocked down, who's probably a girl is judging from the voice. "I should have been looking where I was going! Now my glasses are missing."

Neku went over to the girl, and started moving the packages off of her. As Neku moved aside more and more boxes, I was able to see more of the girl. She was about the same age as Neku, with shoulder length black hair, wearing a green turtle-neck sweater, red jean-shorts, and designer boots. Her eyes were a brilliant shade of blue, but from what I could see, she had to be near-sighted. In her right arm, she was holding this black cat doll… I didn't realize they allowed such poor designs on the market.

I saw something flash in Neku's eyes when he saw that doll. Recognition? Shrugging it aside, I watched the girl get the rest of the boxes off, and noticed my male companion pick a pair of glasses up off the ground, probably this girl's.

"Thanks for the help, sir," the girl said to Neku.

"It's no problem, Shiki."

The girl and I stared at Neku in surprise. How did he know her name? I saw the girl was about to voice the question, but was interrupted by Neku handing her the glasses. She took them gratefully, but I noticed another flash of recognition in the girl's eyes after she put them back on. Or maybe it was just the glare from her glasses.

"Oh! Neku!" Obviously it was the former. Are they Boyfriend/Girlfriend or something?

I could see Neku whisper something in the girl's ear, and her blushing visibly. I watched both of them close their eyes, slowly leaning towards each other…

"HEY! SAVE THE FIRST KISS FOR THE LAST CHAPTER YOU TWO!" I hollered, getting in between them and pushing the two apart. They both shot me annoyed looks, but I shrugged them aside. The girl… I think Neku said her name was Kiki or something… Continued to glare daggers at me, but eventually, she and I both turned to Neku to provide introductions.

"Right… Shiki, this is Aaron Skyhart… Aaron, this is my… friend, Shiki Misaki."

Why so much hesitation, Neku? Trying to hide your feelings from me?

I turned to Shiki, examining that cat doll she was holding. It seems primitive in design, and the sewing job was way too perfect to not be factory made.

"Nice to meet you, Shiki," I greeted her. "So, tell me, where did you purchase that unattractive doll?"

Shiki was visibly insulted by that question, and Neku was glaring daggers at me.

"She didn't buy it,"

"Oh, so it was a gift? Remind me to ask her friend where the Hideous Toy st-"

Neku ran towards me at unimaginable speed, and grabbed a handful of my shirt.

"She made that stuffed animal with her own two hands, you insensitive vulpine."

I stared at Neku in surprise. She made it herself?

"Oh. I-I-I'm so sorry! The stitching was so perfect, I thought it was factory made," I stammered out. Shiki was obviously touched by that statement. Refocusing my attention, I resumed glaring at the violet-clad teenager.

"Look, I don't have time to be arguing with you about your girlfriend's impeccable skills as a seamstress," I blurted out, ignoring the blush emerging on both Neku and Shiki's faces. "We have a murder mystery to solve, remember?"

Neku only hardened his glare, making me feel increasingly uncomfortable. Say, is his hand heating up or is it just me?

* * *

**Beat's POV**

I still can't believe it. I'm playing the Reapers' Gamew with Sonic the Freaking Hedgehog as my partner. True, he isn't exactly Neku, but from the battles we fought on the way to where the remains of the Egg Seraph were located, I could see that he had a knack for wind psychs.

Sadly, the fact remains that he and I don't completely trust each other yet. I have to open up to him more if I want to win that medicine. See, I actually returned to life several weeks ago. But, a few days ago, Rhyme had fallen ill. The doctors said she only had a month to live. I lost my sister once; I didn't want to lose her again. I did research for a cure, but the only person who knows the recipe for the herbal medicine is Joshua. So, I made a deal with him; I play and win the Reapers' Game one more time, he gives me the medicine I need to cure Rhyme's condition. (A/N: This is for those of you who were wondering why Beat is still playing the game.)

We were nearly to the lot that Sonic had died in, but the said rodent crashed face-first into an invisible wall. I could see a Reaper standing nearby, obviously waiting to provide the conditions for clearing the wall.

"Want past this wall?" he finally asked. "Bring me an Eden's Door. It's a pin."

Eden's Door? Yeah, how about I provide the rest of the set while I'm at it? That pin is next to impossible to obtain. I'm starting to think that was the reason for the eight hour time limit, not the "fallen angel" riddle. I quickly glance at my timer, seeing that Sonic and I still have seven hours left.

I'm not 100% sure we can get an Eden's Door in that time. Maybe if we fight a Pig Noise…

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**And there you go! Like the cliffhanger? Please, R&R.**


	5. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

**Here is the fifth chapter to As the World Turns! Sorry for the long wait, I was waiting for someone to review one of my stories, but now I see this isn't going to happen you bunch of lazy hooligans! No offense to those of you who favorite me or one of my stories. Anyway, let's get started. But first, I should place a claimer on the OC I'm using as the Game Master during this Game. Clear? Ok, good.**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Day 2**

**One Step Forward, Two Steps Back**

**Neku's POV**

I cannot believe Aaron would be so insensitive. Even if Shiki didn't make Mr. Mew herself, it wasn't nice of him to call the doll terrible. I was so angry at him I was accidentally incinerating his shirt.

I should probably explain. Apparently, since I played the Reapers' Game so many times, the psyches I had used during that time had imprinted themselves into my mind, meaning that I can still use them, even in the RG, albeit with a few obvious exceptions. Essentially, I'm some freak with psychic powers to control fire, ice, lightning, water, light, wind, darkness, etc. But I neglected to mention this to Aaron, so I'm guessing he'll be a little freaked to find a hole of singed fabric where I had grabbed him.

I was about to release him when a high pitched scream suddenly blasted from the store, forcing Aaron, Shiki and I to turn towards it in concern. People on the sidewalk also turned to look on in fear and concern. Shortly after this, and teenage employee ran out the doors as if for dear life, screaming about finding a dead body in the broom closet. Wasting no time, the three of us dashed inside; I had a suspicion that this might provide some clues to the mystery.

There were already police roping off the area around the body, investigations going underway. Among the local Shibuya police forces, there were G.U.N. agents investigating as well. Bit overkill for a mere murder, if you ask me, although they probably figured, like I did, that it might tie in with Sonic's murder. I could make out this black hedgehog, a white, somewhat sexy bat, and a huge, hulking robot in the G.U.N. ranks.

They sent Team Dark to lead the investigation? If that isn't overkill, I don't know what is.

* * *

**Sonic's POV**

"Beat, don't you think using a fusion move on pig Noise is a little on the 'overkill' side?" I asked my partner dryly. We were given a fusion pin from the Reaper guarding the path to the lot containing the ruins of the Egg Seraph, and Beat gave me a small crash course on using the technique. We immediately tested our level one fusion skill on some pig Noise, successfully acquiring that 'Eden's Door' pin the Reaper wanted.

"Sonic, when you've fought a fair number of those things like I have, you'd have to disagree," Beat replied. "Those things are way too quick to run away."

I looked at him questioningly. I guessed that would be right, but those Pigs didn't seem pretty fast. Then again, the only thing I seriously considered fast was me, and I really can't honestly say _that_ anymore.

I checked the timer on my hand, but I was astounded at the amount of time left. Six and a half hours, almost. This mission is turning out to be way too easy. The Game Master may as well have given no time limit at all. But, then again, what's the catch? There has to be a catch if things are this easy.

We made it back to the wall that was blocking the way to the lot containing the remains of the Egg Seraph, the Reaper clearing it when he saw we had the pin he wanted. Beat and I walked briskly into the lot, and I decided to try to make conversation with him once more.

"So… Beat… who exactly is that Neku guy you mentioned earlier?" Beat glanced sideways at that, as if thinking about the person I was asking him about.

"He was another player in the Game. Prob'ly had the widest array of pyschs of any Player in the history of the UG," Beat started. I stared at him in amazement. Was Neku really that unpredictable?

"I met him during the first time either of us played the game. At the time, he was nothin' more than some loner who didn't want to interact with anyone. But, during that week…" I could see we were heading towards a painful subject, so I told Beat to drop the subject for now. We finally entered the lot that had the remains of the Egg Seraph still littered around it, and I stopped for a few seconds to let the memories flow into my mind. Beat noticed my stance, and seemed to be worried about something.

"Somthin' wrong?"

"I died here, you know," I reminded him. "I was distracted by the victory Aaron and I pulled on Eggman, and then… someone shot me." I wondered how my friends were doing. Tails… Amy… Aaron… Knuckles… You know, now that I think about it… Beat kinda reminds me of that knucklehead.

They're both tough guys… they're quick to jump to conclusions… neither are exactly the brightest color on the pallet… they're gullible… they're both stubborn…

"Hey, is somethin' wrong, man?" I heard Beat ask me.

"I'm fine, why?"

"You're…" he gestured to my face at this, apparently finding something to bizarre to put into words.

I placed a gloved hand to my cheek… it felt wet. In blind shock, I realized that I had shed tears while I was noting the similarities between Beat and Knuckles. I guess I miss him already. I hastily rubbed the still present tears from my eyes.

"Geez, sorry about that… it's just that… you remind me of this knucklehead I know."

Beat obviously didn't know who I was talking about… or apparently if he should take what I said as a compliment or an insult. Fortunately for me, he disregarded the comment.

"Ya miss 'em already, huh? Your friends…"

I looked away as he said that. Are the others going to be okay without me?

"Hey, chill, man," I heard Beat say. "Win the Game, an' ya can go back to them, ya know?"

He's right. I just have to stick it out, complete these missions, and I can return to the others. Although, there is the problem of Aaron…

Meh. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

I scanned the area, but found at least a dozen yellow Noise Symbols hovering around the wrecked machine. I didn't realize the doctor's destroyed creations had so much lingering negativity.

Maybe this was the reason for the huge time limit.

* * *

**Shadow's POV**

Rouge, Omega, and I crowded around the limp form, with me examining it as closely as possible. According to Omega's scans, the subject has been dead since 5:00 yesterday morning; six hours after Sonic was shot.

The three of us were already nearby, sent by G.U.N. HQ to investigate Sonic's murder. We were searching the candle shop for possible suspects when some new employee found the dead body in the broom closet.

Could there be some connection?

"Hey, Shadow!"

I slowly turned around to see Aaron's human form, followed closely by two teenagers, on boy and one girl, heading towards us. I understood why Aaron would be here, but what business do those other two have?

"What are you doing here, Aaron?" I asked him.

"I'm investigating Sonic's murder, what do you think I'm doing?" Figures.

"And the others?"

"Oh, they agreed to help me with the mystery."

"I meant their names, Skyhart."

"Sorry. These two are Shiki, and Neku." He introduced the girl, and boy, respectively. While this was going on, Aaron's older brother came running in this direction, requested by Rouge to provide anything he knew about the dead man. He seemed surprised that Aaron was here, but immediately glanced at the dead body, obviously recognizing him, judging from his facial expression.

"That's… one of Dad's business representatives…"

I looked at him quizzically. One of his father's representitives?

"What do you mean?" Rouge questioned him.

"This guy was one of Dad's most loyal workers. He would typically send him to substitute for him when he was unavailable. He must have been here last night, delivering the payment."

"What payment?" the girl, Shiki, questioned. Sam looked uncomfortable, as if the subject seemed too painful for him to admit. I glared at him, encouraging him to just get it off his chest.

"W-well… this morning I was browsing through Dad's private documents while he was in the shower… and I found something horrible… the t-truth is… see, D-d-dad… d-d-d-d-dad…"

"OUT WITH IT, MAN!" Aaron screamed, obviously frustrated with Sam's reluctance to tell us what he learned.

"Dad'!" Sam screamed out all in one breath. Aaron stared at him in surprise, obviously not wanting to belief what his older brother had just told him.

"Uh… Sam, did I hear you right? Dad hired someone to kill Sonic?" Sam nodded his head ashamedly. I knew the man was an idiot, but this… this time; he's gone way too far.

Anger at Robert Skyhart aside, we can probably assume that the representative was killed by the same guy who shot Sonic… the question is, why?

Rouge found the briefcase containing the money Mr. Skyhart was sending to the hired gun, opening it reveal a lot amount of Yen. Rouge apparently noticed something off about the notes, and rubbed some of the ink off with a wet cloth.

Counterfeit. That answers my last question.

But this entire revelation provided us with a way to identify the sniper.

"Sam, we need to see the security footage if the store yesterday morning, around 5:00 am. That's the representative's estimated time of death."

Sam, however, shook his head sadly.

"Sorry, Shadow, I can't do that. The security cameras were malfunctioning that day, so this is no footage of the exchange."

I cursed at this news. Now what do we do?

"You know, there is a way we can find out who it was," Neku stated. I looked at him questioningly.

"And we can do that… how?" I asked skeptically.

"The camera on my phone can take pictures of the past," he explained. "I just have to set the time to around Omega's estimate, and we might get an answer."

A phone camera that photographs that past… how exactly does that work? I was skeptical about Neku's claim, but moved out of his way nonetheless, Rouge and Omega following my lead. I watched Neku set the time on his camera-4:56 am the previous day-and take the picture. I looked at his screen, which only showed the representative standing this room, speaking to some guy in a heavy hooded trench coat, and handing him the briefcase of counterfeit Yen notes. The hooded man had to be the sniper, but his back was to the camera, so we couldn't see his face.

"Well… I believe now… except this doesn't do us all that much good," I stated monotonously. "Maybe you should shoot from a different angle… or maybe shoot a later time."

Neku forward the time to 5:01 that same day, and snapped the picture. This one showed the hooded man with a smaller hand gun in his right hand, standing over the dead representative, a few of the counterfeit notes in shreds on the floor at his feet. The coat's sleeve ran up a little on his arm, showing this black wave tattoo running up it, and stopping at the wrist. Better, but still not enough for proper identification.

"Maybe another five minutes would be more revealing," Rouge mentioned.

Neku forwarded the time by the amount Rouge suggested-making the photographed time 5:06 am-and took the picture. What this showed was the sniper, finally facing in the vague direction of the camera, walking away from the broom closet he had stuffed the dead representative into. His face was hidden by the shadows of his hood, but his coat was open, revealing that his chest was heavily covered in a huge, black tattoo. Neku yelped when he saw the tattoo, almost dropping his phone in shock.

"Neku, what is it?" Aaron asked him. "Do you recognize him?"

Neku just stared at the screen in disbelief, ignoring Aaron's question.

"No… not him," I heard Neku beg under his breath. "Anyone but him…"

* * *

**Beat's POV**

I sighed in relief as the last Noise was erased.

"Tha's the last of 'em," I announced needlessly. I glanced at my hand to see that the timer had vanished. Mission accomplished.

"We did it, Beat," I heard Sonic stated needlessly. I grunted in agreement. Although despite the success of the day, I couldn't help but notice a chill wind blowing from somewhere…

What could it mean?

* * *

**Sniper's POV**

I still couldn't believe that fleabag tried to rip me off with counterfeit money.

That so zetta bites.

* * *

**Well, that's the end of this chapter. You know, has anyone else noticed those similarities in Beat and Knuckles? (only three people raise their hands) What! Are any of you even the least bit observant? How about this, whoever is observant enough to correctly guess who shot Sonic based on the two hints given in this chapter wins an awesome prize. Please Read & Review. OMNISENSE95 out.**


	6. Shibuya Idol

**And here is the next chapter to As the World Turns! For those of you who didn't figure out who the sniper was, I'm not gonna spoil it for you. Anyway, please please please please please (549 pleases later) PLEASE review this chapter. By the way, I own none of the songs used in this chapter. Now, let's go.**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**Day 3**

**Shibuya Idol**

**Neku's POV**

Please let me be wrong, please let me be wrong, please let me be wrong, please let me be wrong, please let me be wrong, please let me be wrong, please let me be wrong, please let me be wrong, please let me be wrong, please let me be wrong, please-

"NEKU!"

I was jerked out of my begging thoughts by Aaron's sudden outburst.

"What?"

"We're there."

I looked up at the karaoke diner near AMX, where Shadow said Shiki, Aaron and I would find the first suspect he listed; Levi Mizoko, one of the bar's most frequent customers. The place allows customers to show off their singing and dancing abilities on a stage near the back of the place. Hopefully, he'll turn out to be the culprit, and I'll be wrong about… _him._

* * *

**Sonic's POV**

I slowly got up off of the concrete and opened my eyes to see this large record store, with a diner nearby. I heard Beat coming to next to me, and I was relieved the he's still with me. My attention drifted over to the diner, and I noticed three people heading over to it; Aaron's human form, a boy in purple clothing, and a girl in a green sweater holding this black cat doll close to her. The unnamed boy seemed a little dazed… I wonder why.

"Well… this is it…" the girl breathed out.

"Yeah, you ready for this?" Aaron asked the other boy. He was ultimately ignored however.

"Uh… hello?" Aaron probed. The purple clad boy still didn't acknowledge him. "Hello?" Aaron tried again. Still no reaction.

"NEKU!" That finally got the boy out of it, but I tuned out then. HE was that Neku kid Beat told me about?

Beat was fully woken up by Aaron's outburst, and turned to see his old friend, along with Aaron, and the girl he apparently recognized.

"THAT'S Neku?" I asked him quizzically.

"Yeah. Tha's him."

I was about to ask him who the girl was, but the mission arrived just then, cutting me out. I fished out my phone, and read the message:

_Do not leave the diner near AMX. You have the remainder of the day._

_Fail, and face erasure._

_-The Reapers_

The timer reasserted its place on my hand after that, and I could see Beat suffer the same pain. I looked back at the message questioningly.

"This some kindda joke, yo?" I heard Beat exclaim.

"I don't think so. They're asking us to stay inside the diner. How hard can that be?" I was getting an idea of the Game Master's strategy; he's going to give out hopelessly easy missions early on, then catch everyone off guard with a nearly impossible task.

It seemed to me like Aaron and h9os two friends were going inside the diner as well. The place didn't have a Reaper decal, so at least I won't be visible in there, and potentially cause a riot.

With that in mind, Beat and I walked inside the diner, and took seats at a table next to where Aaron's group was seated. I heard applause rise in the pedestrians, and Beat and I looked towards the stage to see a red-haired girl in what had to be designer clothing walk onto the stage holding a microphone.

"Hello everyone!" she called out cheerfully. "I'd like to dedicate this song I'm about to perform to a boy I met the other day. Hope you call be back some time soon, D." From the corner of my eye, I could see Beat turn away slightly, but his eyes had a certain light in them when he mustered the courage to look back at the girl on the stage. The lights dimmed, and the background music used in Carly Rae Jepson's _Call Me Maybe _started playing. At the cue, she started singing;

_I threw a wish in the well,_

_Don't ask me, I'll never tell,_

_I looked to you as it fell,_

_And now you're in my way._

_I trade my soul for a wish,_

_Tektites and Yen for a kiss,_

_I wasn't looking for this,_

_But now you're in my way._

_Your stare was holdin'_

_Ripped jeans, skin was showin'_

_Hot night, wind was blowin'_

_Where you think you're going, baby?_

_Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy,_

_But here's my number, so call me maybe._

_It's hard to look right, at you baby,_

_But here's my number, so call me maybe._

_Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy,_

_But here's my number, so call me maybe,_

_And all the other boys try to chase me,_

_But here's my number, so call me maybe._

…

_You took your time with the call,_

_I took no time with the fall,_

_You gave me nothin' at all,_

_But still you're in my way._

_I beg and borrow and steal,_

_At first sight and it's real,_

_I didn't know I would feel it,_

_But it's in my way._

_Your stare was holdin'_

_Ripped jeans, skin was showin'_

_Hot night, wind was blowin'_

_Where you think you're going, baby?_

_Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy,_

_But here's my number, so call me maybe._

_It's hard to look right at you, baby,_

_But here's my number, so call me maybe._

_Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy,_

_But here's my number, so call me maybe._

_And all the other boys try to chase me,_

_But here's my number, so call me maybe._

_Before you came into my life,_

_I missed you so bad,_

_I missed you so bad,_

_I missed you so, so bad._

_Before you came into my life,_

_I missed you so bad,_

_And you should know that,_

_I missed you so, so bad._

At this point, she glanced over at me and Beat, as if she somehow knew we were there. Beat held eye contact with her, unflinching in his stare. In my mind's eye, the room went completely dark except for two spotlights marking Beat, and the girl onstage.

_It's hard to look right at you baby,_

_But here's my number, so call me maybe._

The moment passed after that line, and she directed her attention back to the audience.

_Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy,_

_But here's my number, so call me maybe._

_And all the other boys try to chase me,_

_But here's my number, so call me maybe._

_Before you came into my life,_

_I missed you so bad,_

_I missed you so bad,_

_I missed you so, so bad._

_Before you came into my life,_

_I missed you so bad,_

_And you should know that,_

_So call me maybe!_

The applause she received was pretty immense, but not immense enough to push my thoughts away from the look on Beat's face.

What was that all about?

* * *

**Shiki's POV**

I'll admit, I didn't expect to run into Eri here, of all places, but after hearing her perform _Call Me Maybe_, I started to wonder…

As Eri was getting off the stage, she noticed me, Neku and Aaron, and ran over to our table, taking a seat right next to me.

"Hey, Shiki, didn't expect to meet you here," Eri laughed off as she greeted me. She turned her attention to Neku after that.

"You must be Neku. Shiki has told me quite a few things about you," Neku visibly blushed at her comment. It must have been weird for him, meeting Eri formally, when I looked and acted almost exactly like her in the UG.

"And… who's the American tourist?" Here, she was referring to Aaron.

"My name's Aaron Skyhart," the human-fox introduced himself.

"Eri," my best friend introduced herself to him. "It's great to meet you."

"Likewise," Aaron responded. "Say, that song you just performed… in your head, were you singing to anyone in particular?"

Eri seemed slightly put off by Aaron's question, but answered nonetheless.

"Oh, guy I met the other day. I think his name was Daisukenojo or something…"

I could practically hear Beat panicking at the use of his real name.

**Beat's POV**

"BWAAAAAAAH!" I was pretty much panicking after Eri had used my real name.

"Beat, what's the big deal?" I heard Sonic ask me.

"Wh-wha's wrong wit her!" I asked no one in particular.

"Was that your real name or something?"

I deflated somewhat, embarrassed that Sonic knew my name now.

"Uh-huh," I reluctantly admitted. "Embarrassing as hell, I know. Tha's why I go by Beat."

"I know how you feel."

He does? Yeah right.

"My actual name is…" He shuddered here, "… Maurice."

I stared at him in amazement. I can't believe that Sonic and I actually have something in common; we're both embarrassed by our real names.

**Shiki's POV**

"Say, why exactly are you here, Eri?" I finally asked her.

"Oh, I was just looking for inspiration for a new design," she answered. I glanced around the diner questioningly, wondering what sort of inspiration Eri was in search of.

"So… why are the three of you here?"

"We're looking for someone," Aaron answered her. "A suspect in the murder of Sonic the Hedgehog."

"You're investigation that?" Eri asked in awe. "I made T-shirts to protest the action of killing heroes after I learned about that! See?" At that, she pulled one of those shirts out of her bag. It was the same cobalt blue as Sonic's fur, with a picture of the blue speedster in place of Jesus Christ on the cross, with bloody letters across the bottom reading "Haven't we lost enough heroes?"

"Also available in red, green, yellow, and black," Eri added on.

Aaron just stared at Eri in amazement.

"You made that thing yourself?"

Eri glanced away guiltily.

"Well, Shiki actually made the shirts, I just came up with the logo," she admitted cheerfully. "Anyway, who's the guy?"

"Levi Mizoko." Aaron said the name in a hushed tone, as if saying it would jinx the operation.

"Well, you don't have much farther to look, he's standing right behind you."

At Eri's words, Neku, Aaron and I turned to look behind the vulpine to see a large man dressed in a white tank top and sweatpants glaring daggers at Aaron.

"Uh… are you Levi Mizoko?" he asked timidly. The big guy nodded his head in response.

"So… uh…"

"I have nothing to say to you," he barked, turning around to go off to get a tab.

"Hey, wait!" I shouted after him. "We just want to ask you some questions!"

He stopped and turned slowly back around. HE stomped back over to us, glaring madly.

"What kind of questions?"

"The kind where you're a suspect in a murder," Aaron answered boldly.

"You think I shot that blue hedgehog, huh?" said Levi. Aaron nodded his head in answer.

"If you want me to answer your questions, you're going to have to out-dance me… right after that kid," he pointed at Neku, "performs a nice song."

I would have laughed at the look on Neku's face if the stakes hadn't been so high.

"What's the matter? Too chicken to do it?" Levi taunted him. He really shouldn't be doing that, given Neku's lingering abilities. Predictably (for me, anyway,), Neku gave the man a steel glare, and seconds later, a chair "just happened" to launch itself at Levi's back, shattering on contact. Levi turned in anger to furiously ask who threw the chair, but no one answered. I gave a deadpan look to Neku, easily seeing the smirk on his face.

"Alright, fine," Neku told Levi. "I'll play your game. A simple Bruno Mars song should be adequate, right?"

Levi only grunted agreeably, still angry about the chair. I watched Neku walk calmly over to the stage, handing the musicians the song he wanted them to perform. He walked over to the microphone, and signaled the band to start. HE opened with this harmonized sigh, telling me what song he chose.

_Oh, her eyes, her eyes, make the stars look like they're not shining,_

_Her hair, her hair, fall perfectly without her trying,_

_She's so beautiful, and I tell her every day…_

_Yeah,_

_I know, I know, when I compliment her, she won't believe me,_

_It's so, it's so, sad to think that she don't see what I see,_

_But every time she asks me "Do I look okay?" I say…_

_When I see your face,_

_There's not a thing that I would change,_

'_Cause your amazing, just the way you are._

Neku periodically glanced at me as he sang. I blushed lightly.

_And when you smile,_

_The whole world stops and stares for a while,_

'_Cause, girl, you're amazing, just the way you are._

_Yeah…_

_Her lips, her lips, I could kiss them all day if she'd let me,_

_Her laugh, her laugh, she hates but I think it's so sexy,_

_She's so beautiful, and I tell her every day…_

_Oh, you know, you know, you know I'd never ask you to change,_

_If perfect's what you're searching for than just stay the same,_

_So don't even bother asking if you look okay; you know I'll say…_

_When I see your face,_

_There's not a thing that I would change,_

'_Cause you're amazing, just the way you are._

_And when you smile,_

_The whole world stops and stares for a while,_

'_Cause, girl, you're amazing, just the way you are._

_The way you are, the way you are…_

_Girl, you're amazing, just the way you are._

_When I see your face,_

At this point, he completely locked eyes with me, and I could see he meant every word.

_There's not a thing that I would change,_

'_Cause you're amazing, just the way you are._

_And when you smile,_

_The whole world stops and stares for a while,_

'_Cause, girl, you're amazing, just the way you are._

_Yeah…_

I was the only one to give him a standing ovation for his performance.

* * *

**Beat's POV**

"I never knew Neku was such a talented singer…" I seriously didn't. He really wouldn't sing back when I first met him, either.

Sonic and I watched Neku return to his table with Shiki (who was still standing), Eri, that Aaron kid, and their suspect to Sonic's murder. Shiki quickly sat down as Levi reminded them of his dance-off with Aaron, and slowly made his way over to the stage, informing the band that they should play that Journey hit _Anyway You Want It_.

"He' doomed," Sonic commented after a few minutes of watching his dance moves.

"Why do you say that?" I asked him. "Guy's pretty good."

"Yeah, he is…" the blue hedgehog admitted. "… But you haven't seen Aaron's dancing. He most people in the "Step Up" films look like amateurs."

"Doubt that, yo," I remarked.

"500¥ says Aaron outdoes Levi."

"You're on." We shook hands on the bet. I felt confident that I would win. Levi Mizoko was recorded as the best dancer to ever grace this diner. There's no way the fox could outdo him.

Levi finished up, and walked back to Neku's table, telling Aaron that he's up. I watched Aaron confidently walk over to the stage, whisper his choice of song to the band, and start whistling into the mic. He's doing Maroon 5' _Moves like Jagger_?

_OH!_

_Just shoot for the stars,_

_If it feels right,_

_Then aim for my heart,_

_If you feel like,_

_And take me away,_

_And make it okay,_

_I swear I'll behave._

He's not even dancing yet. Probably trying to build tension or something.

_You wanted control,_

_So we waited._

_I put on a show,_

_Now I make it._

_You say I'm a kid,_

_My ego is big,_

_I don't give a shit._

_And it goes like this;_

Here, he ripped off his shirt, and switched to a headset mic, dancing better than most paid professionals.

_Take me by the tongue, and I'll know you,_

_Kiss me 'til your drunk and I'll show you_

_All the moves like Jagger,_

_I got the moves like jagger,_

_I got the Moo-oo-oo-oooo-oo-oo-oo-oves like jager_

_I don't need to try to control you,_

_Look into my eyes and I'll own you_

_With them moves like jagger,_

_I got the moves like jagger,_

_I got the Moo-oo-oo-oooo-oo-oo-oo-oves like jagger._

I stared at him with my mouth hanging open, and I could see Neku, Shiki, Eri, and Levi doing the same, along with all the other customers. Next to me, I could see Sonic smirking as if to say "I told you so."

_Maybe it's hard…_

_When you feel like,_

_You're broken and scarred…_

_Nothing feels right;_

_But when you're with me-_

_I'll make you believe-_

_That I've got the key…_

_So get in the car,_

_We can ride it,_

_Wherever you want…_

_Get inside it!_

_And you want to steer,_

_But I'm shifting gears;_

_I'll take it from here;_

_And it goes like this;_

_Take me by the tongue and I'll know you,_

_Kiss me 'til you're drunk and I'll show you_

_All the moves like jagger,_

_I got the moves like jagger,_

_I got the Moo-oo-oo-oooo-oo-oo-oves like jagger._

_I don't need to try to control you,_

_Look into my eyes and I'll own you_

_With them moves like jagger,_

_I got the moves like jagger,_

_I got the Moo-oo-oo-oooo-oo-oo-oves like jagger._

Some nameless female customer had got on the stage by now, obviously to sing the Christina Aguilera part.

_You wanna know,_

_How to make me smile?_

_Take control, own me just for the night,_

_And if I share my secret,_

_You're gonna have to keep it;_

_Nobody else can see this._

_So watch and learn;_

_I won't show you twice._

_Head to toe, oh, baby, rub me right,_

_But if I share my secret,_

_You're gonna have to keep it;_

_Nobody else can see this-hey-hey-hey-yeah!_

Aaron resumed his own part now.

_And it goes like this;_

_Take me by the tongue and I'll know you,_

_Kiss me 'til you're drunk and I'll show you_

_All the moves like jagger,_

_I got the moves like jagger,_

_I got the Moo-oo-oo-oooo-oo-oo-oves like jagger!_

_I don't need to try to control you,_

_Look into my eyes and I'll own you_

_With them moves like jagger,_

_I got the moves like jagger,_

_I got the Moo-oo-oo-oooo-oo-oo-oves like jagger!_

For three seconds after the song ended, everyone was too amazed at Aaron's dancing to react, but immediately afterward broke into the loudest applause given yet. I could see Sonic present his open hand towards me. Without looking at him, I dejectedly gave him the 500¥ we bet on.

* * *

**Aaron's POV**

I knew I would win. I can boogie with the best of 'em.

I walked back over to the table, enjoying the look of disbelief on Levi's face.

"So… where were you last Saturday at 11:00 pm?" I asked calmly.

He sighed resignedly.

"I was here… helping to clean up." He was silent for a couple minutes. "I lost a bet."

His heart rate remained steady as he said everything.

"He's telling the truth," I informed the others.

It wasn't him. There are still three more suspects on Shadow's list, so it must be one of them.

* * *

**And there you go. Hope you liked the songs I used here. See, I made the change to that one line in "Call Me Maybe" in order for it to fit the setting better; Pennies and dimes aren't used as currency in Japan, and Tektites are used in the game as materials you can trade for items. Yen is self-explanatory. Now, you had better review this time!**


	7. The Mystery that Started with the Big Ba

**This would be the seventh chapter to As the World Turns! To commemorate, I have I little surprise for you all; you get to meet the Game Master! He has a certain relationship with the sniper who killed Sonic, but I won't tell you that yet. Just to let you know, I named the Game Master after a **_**Naruto**_** character, but in terms of personality and manner of speech, he's closer to Sheldon Copper from **_**The Big Bang Theory. **_**I developed a liking to the latter show while on a family vacation to Frankenmuth, which I just returned from. Well, enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**Day 4**

**The Mystery that Started with the Big Bang**

**Uzuki's POV**

Kariya and I stood at our usual hangout place; the roof of Cadoi City. The work he and I performed yesterday had me somewhat eager for today, although I couldn't help but wonder how the Game Master was getting so many players erased, despite the fact that he has been sending out missions that FLEAS would have little problem completing… well, maybe not day 2's mission, but that beside the point.

"So, Uzuki…" Kariya started, "How many points did you bag yesterday?"

"Twenty six," I answered proudly. "You?"

"Twenty six…" Kariya answered casually, his stick of bean paste held calmly by his mouth. "…which means our wager is a tie."

"Just like we tied yesterday…" I started, "at thirty eight. And the day before that at fifty, and the day before that at fifty two. Which means that by now, at least 47% of the total number of players have been erased."

"Bingo," my partner praised. "Let me just say this, Uzuki, this game, up to now, has been extremely boring."

"I'd have to disagree… well, to some extent, anyway. True, the missions have been as easy as adding two and two, but there have been a lot more players this time around than in most of the games I've served thus far. And how often is it that one of the players is a freaking CELEBRITY, huh!"

"Celebrity? You mean that blue hedgehog paired up with Rottenmeat?"

"Of course! He's the world renowned hero, Sonic the Hedgehog! That guy has saved cities in various countries on multiple occasions! If I remember correctly, this is his first long-term trip to Asia in nine months."

"By "Long-term", do you mean real long term, or "I'm-staying-longer-than-the-usual-thirty-seconds" long term?" We both laughed at this question. I loved moments like this between the two of us.

"Right, all joking aside, it seems to me like something's bothering you, Uzuki," said Kariya, shortly after the moment passed.

"It's the Game Master," I stated blandly. "He's giving out the easiest missions possible, and yet he has managed to get almost half the total number of players erased… and the reason apparently involves Taboo Noise. He told me so himself a short while ago."

"Unbelievable," Kariya responded irritably. "Creating Taboo Noise is a capital offense."

"A capital offense that previously has most recently been committed by former Game Master Sho Minamimoto," I noted.

"Funny you should mention that, Uzuki," Kariya spoke up. Whenever he said that, something unnerving tended to be on his mind. "Because I just remembered something. You see, the Game Master is…"

* * *

**Shiki's POV**

Aaron, Neku, Eri and I were standing in the middle of Scramble Crossing, examining the short list of suspects Omega was able to print out. Mizoko's name was crossed out with red marker, with three names still on the list; Katomo Sanaetatsu, Makoto Ushiko, and Ohs Otomimanim. The last one was way too ridiculous to be real, and from what I noticed from the letters in it, seemed to support Neku's hypothesis.

"Well, according to the profiles, the first two live and work together, so we can interrogate them both," Aaron noted. "We can kill two birds with one stone."

"That really isn't a good idea, Aaron," I spoke up. "I've met those two, and it will be next to impossible to get a believable answer from them."

"Why's that?" The fox asked.

"One of them denies anything and everything, and the other is a compulsive yes-man."

Aaron sighed irritably at this. "Hey, where there's a will, there's-"

"Greetings, teenagers," an annoying voice spoke up from behind. I turned around to see a tall, slim man with long, slick brown hair, cargo jeans, and a tight black muscle shirt. He couldn't be any older than twenty.

"Who the heck are you?" I asked him.

"My name is Kabuto," the stranger answered. "What activities are the four of you engaging in at the present moment?"

"We're hunting suspects in the murder of Sonic the Hedgehog," Aaron answered in an annoyed tone. "Now get out of my face!"

"Playing detective, are we?" Kabuto asked. He leaned over my shoulder to look at the list of suspects, seeing the names of the two we were going to interrogate.

"Those two?" he asked again, though I knew it was rhetorical here. "If you're going after Ushiko and Sanaetatsu, than you all are already connected to another object by an inclined plane wrapped helically around an axis."

"No, we are NOT screwed, thank you very much!" I could tell Aaron was getting angry with him. "How about you go text your boss why you're late for-"

"Great idea!" Kabuto suddenly exclaimed. He whipped out his cell phone and started typing out a text, mumbling as he did so.

"Right… Mission: Prove the suspects innocent… Time limit is five hours… enable memes… and… send!" He suddenly turned his attention back to the four of us.

"Okay, you guys had better get on with summoning evidence to aid or condemn those suspected of a crime!" He was pushing us towards the apartment complex the duo shared, and I was immediately suspicious of him. When he finally stopped pushing, I turned around to give him a piece of my mind, but he was gone. I realized something right then and there, and I held Neku back as Aaron and Eri went on ahead.

"Neku… that guy was a Reaper," I told him what I had figured out.

"Not just a Reaper…" Neku spoke up. "He's this week's Game Master."

* * *

**Sonic's POV**

As I came to, I noticed that I was in Spain Hill, another part of Shibuya. I got up, and looked around for some sign of Beat, but he wasn't anywhere nearby. I then saw him walking out of that Mexican Dog place, with a pair of chili dogs in his hands. How the heck did he come to before me?

"Morning, Sonic," he greeted me. He held on his chili dogs over to me. "You hungry? I read somewhere that chili dogs are your favorite."

I took the delicacy from him, and bit into it, loving the taste. "Man, this is perfection!"

"This is good!" I heard Beat exclaim from his position. We ate the meal in silence, until finally the mission arrived. I read the text that had appeared;

_Prove the suspects innocent. You have 5 hours._

_Fail, and face erasure._

_-The Reapers._

I ignored the pain from the timer appearing. What do they want us to do, help Aaron with his investigation of my murder? Come on, Sonic, of course he wants you to do that. The question is, how?

* * *

**Kabuto's POV**

I mentally thanked those teenagers from the Scramble… despite the fact that I had recognized one of those kids as the punk who erased Konishi. Sho had better make him pay one-thousand fold.

Speaking of Sho, he finally appeared in front of me, his Taboo form still in effect.

"Hello, zetta gram." He greeted me in his typical algebraic obsessive manner. "How are things on your end?"

"Just now, I have erased half the total number of players. If things remain steady, only the rodent and his partner will remain. Then, I can extract some of the thing's blood… then you will have the power… to challenge the Composer…"

"…And you will be my Conductor," Sho finished for me. I always was the only person he could cooperate with. "But geez, time is so zetta slow. What's taking Day 7 so long? I took the zetta idiot's job of killing that hedgehog, which convieniently coincided with our plan, but your role of extracting his blood from the UG is taking so zetta long to emerge."

I chuckled at his antics. "Have patience, brother."

* * *

**And there you have it! Please review! Don't and you will be erased!**


	8. Inserted Inspiration

**This is the eighth chapter of As the World Turns. Yes, the Game Master's full name is Kabuto Minamimoto. Yes, he's Sho's older brother, and Sho was the one who taught Kabuto how to refine Taboo Noise. Anyway, please enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**Day 5**

**Inserted Inspiration**

**Sonic's POV**

I was still pondering about what the mission was asking. Beat and I need to prove two people suspected of my murder innocent… or at least, help Aaron do so. The two of us had been walking past AMX when we suddenly heard the refrain of the song _Mask_ by some guy under the stage name "Felis Cantus".

"Geez, I love this guy's music," I heard Beat comment. "And so do a lot of people, yo. Dude's first single, _In Death,_ made #1 in Shibuya within the first week of release."

"I can imagine. He's pretty popular in the United States as well," I added on. It was right around then that I began to wonder exactly who Felis Cantus was.

"Man, would you believe that the guy's an extremely recent addition to the music department?" Beat asked me. This surprised me. "Dude appeared about a day after I finished my second game, which was Neku's third."

"And… how long ago was that?"

"Eh… about a month or two, probably."

"What! This guy released five hit singles in two months?" I was amazed at this accomplishment.

"Uh-huh. _In Death, Mask, Lying God Figure, Endgame, _and_ Sacrifice." _Beat stated, listing off each of Felis Cantus' singles. I heard my phone ring, and noticed that each of the singles had been saved as memes. Well… I guess we'll have to imprint to complete this mission. But to do that, we most likely need to find Aaron. Thankfully, that didn't take us very long.

* * *

**Aaron's POV**

Neku, Shiki, Eri and I sat there, waiting for those two to let us into their apartment. While we were there, we were listening to this song on the radio… for some reason, the tune sounded somewhat like _Payphone _by Maroon 5;

_To your heart, be true,_

_Show me the real you,_

_Let me see who you are, really._

_Cast away your lies,_

_To strengthen our ties,_

_Take off the mask of your envy._

I never heard this song, before. From the lyrics I heard, it's about some girl who was jealous of her best friend until she met someone who loves her for who she really is.

"Like the song?" I heard Neku ask me. I only grunted.

"Say… what song is this, anyhow?" I asked them.

"It's _Mask, _by Felis Cantus," Eri answered. Felis Cantus, huh? Funny… that voice sounds familiar somehow… now, where did I hear it before? Ah, who cares? It's not important. I just want-

"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!" Shiki suddenly screeched. I turned to her in concern. What's wrong with-?

"Aaron, there's a loose button on your pants," she stated randomly. I glanced at them to see the thing in question. Why was she so upset about it? Neku stared at me sympathetically.

"So?" I asked Shiki. "What's your-"

"Take them off," she ordered. What!

"What? Why-"

"Take them off, NOW!"

"I'm still not-" before I could finish speaking, Shiki reached forward, and yanked my pants off of my legs, leaving me in my red polka-dot boxers in the middle of a crowded street. Heads turned in my direction as the girl pulled a needle and thread from her pocket, and immediately started fixing the loose button. I saw Neku pull out this notepad, and start rabidly writing in it, muttering something that sounded like "Hello, single #6," or something along those lines. In ten seconds, Shiki was finished, and handed me back my pants, which I slipped on hastily before she decided my boxers were tearing at the seams or something.

"What the hell was that for!" I asked the seamstress angrily.

"Loose buttons drive me crazy," she answered simply.

I stared at her incredulously. Loose buttons drive her crazy? Shouldn't forcing someone to strip down to their underwear in the middle of a crowded street be crazier? My thoughts were interrupted by the duo's housekeeper walking out the front door to inform us that the guys were ready to meet with us. As I walked inside, I noticed something about the setup… they had quite a bit of posters for that Felis Cantus guy. Huh, they must be fans.

The two were sitting on the opposite side of a desk at the end of the room. I started the interrogation, but less than five seconds into it, I could see that Shiki had been right. Ushiko denied everything, and Sanaetatsu would go along with everything.

I sighed in exasperation. There had to be an easier way to do this…

And then I had a sudden flash of inspiration, as if someone inserted the thought into my head.

…Mask?

Like the song by Felis Cantus? Hey… the guy had a concert the day Sonic was murdered… around the same time it occurred, too… so maybe…

"Do you guys love the music of that Felis Cantus guy?" I asked them. They both nodded. At least there's one thing Ushiko won't deny.

"We're his #1 fans," Sanaetatsu claimed.

"Buddy, the concert of his we went to was the one six days ago. We're not his #1 fans," Ushiko reprimanded. That proved it. They didn't kill him.

* * *

**Beat's POV**

I took a glance at the timer to see that it had vanished. Mission accomplished.

That leaves two days, yo.

"Congratulations, players," I heard an annoying voice chide from behind where we were. Sonic and I turned swiftly to see a tall Reaper in dark clothes.

"Who are you?" Sonic asked him.

"Kabuto Minamimoto," the Reaper answered. "This week's Game Master."

Minamimoto… isn't that…

"Wait… you're the one who sends all the missions, right?" Sonic asked him. "What's with all the low difficulty stuff, huh?"

"You two were just getting lucky," the Game Master replied coldly. "In fact, you two are so lucky, you're the only players left."

What! It's Day 5, and he's already removed the other players!

"Which would mean my plan is working to perfection…" What is the guy planning?

* * *

**Well… there you have it. Please Review.**


	9. The Producer's Concerns

**And now… we continue on to the next chapter of As The World Turns. Sorry, but this chapter will not include any extensive action. So, Enjoy!**

**Chapter 9**

**Day 6**

**The Producer's Concerns**

* * *

**Neku's POV**

I was right. It has to be the Grim Heaper. Everyone else checked out, and the tattoo I saw in that photo was primly shown in his Taboo form. I'd recognize it anywhere. Well… Joshua never erased him, so… But, there's something I just don't understand…

How does killing Sonic help him overthrow Joshua and become Shibuya's new Composer?

Maybe I should talk with Mr. Hanekoma about this…

"Well, by process of elimination, the last remaining suspect must be the one who shot Sonic," Aaron stated. "Ohs Otomimanim…"

"Correctly known as Sho Minamimoto…" I stated out loud. Aaron just turned sharply towards me, and back at the name on the list.

"Well… that probably makes sense…" he admitted. "The name on the list sounds way too ridiculous to be real. But Neku… you sound as if you've met him before…"

"Yeah… I have," I informed him. The girls were over in a nearby fabric store, so I was able to speak with Aaron in private. "The guy is a math-obsessed lunatic who's willing to do almost anything to receive a higher position of power. In a battle, he's almost impossible to defeat. On top of everything else, the Grim Heaper is completely impossible to get along with."

"Come on, he can't be that bad, right?"

"Aaron… he's that bad. Trust me; I'd rather die again than have to deal with him."

"Okay, fine, but I still say- wait… what did you mean you'd rather die _again_?"

I stiffened up after Aaron had picked up on that. I couldn't tell him about the Reapers' Game, and I couldn't tell him that I had been killed before, he'd freak. He's also going to flip out when Sonic returns to life… I can't just stay silent; he'll know I'm hiding something. Although, the fact that I had gone rigid when he picked up on my choice of words might have been his first hint.

Maybe I can throw him off by playing _that card._

"Oh, I was just quoting one of my songs," I stated. I wasn't exactly lying; _In Death_ uses the words "die" and "again" in correlation to each other.

"Wait, you're a song-writer?"

"Uh-huh. Youngest and most famous one in Shibuya…"

"Really? But I thought Shiki said that Felis Cantus guy was…" Aaron's body went rigid as he put two and two together, learning the true identity of Felis Cantus, lit. English: The Singing Cat; AKA me. Although, in retrospect, he probably should have figured it out yesterday when he heard _Mask _on the radio, given that he had heard me singing the day before. Right then and there, he fainted. I stared down at the fox's limp form, his life only assured by the occasional twitch of his right foot.

"Most people would probably have seen this coming," I stated to no one in particular.

Shiki and Eri were leaving the store right about then, and I started dragging Aaron's unconscious form over to Cat Street. I looked over to Shiki as I walked…

Okay, I'll admit it; I think the real Shiki is beautiful. I really do. You know, she was my muse for _Mask._ The song is about Shiki's old jealousy of Eri, influencing her entry fee for the Reapers' Game. During that time, she was so ecstatic with receiving what she thought she had always wanted, she had been acting like Eri, effectively "masking" who she really was from me. The final verse of the song reflects how I had really started to open up when she did, letting her true self show… her beautiful reality, as I put it in the song.

To be frank, I honestly didn't expect any of the songs I wrote to become hits; especially not practically overnight. I guess that's what happens when you have an imagination as powerful as mine… let's face it; my high creativity is not normal. But hey, it's not like I'm the most creative person on Earth or anything…

* * *

**Sonic's POV**

"I'm tellin' ya, man, Neku has'ta be the creativest person on Earth," Beat argued. I ignored him and took a bite out of my Definito Chili Dog. Beat just dug into his Double Burger after that.

This is Day 6… only two days until I can come back… but… My death has pretty much been announced all over the planet… and Aaron was there when I died… if he meets me after I come back, he'll freak. How will I be able to quietly return to my typical life?

Like I said earlier, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Right now, I had to wait for the mission mail to arrive. We had been talking about ourselves while we were waiting, so we knew a lot more about each other… like…Beat's sister. Raimu Bito, AKA Rhyme… and the selfless sacrifice she made when Beat had played the game the first time. I was touched when Beat told me… touched… and sad… all of her old hopes are dreams are gone forever.

I then heard the mail arrive, and my hand immediately flew to my phone. I hastily read the message;

_Promote the pig. You have 100 minutes._

_Fail, and face erasure._

_-The Reapers._

And there's the burning feeling of the timer appearing on my hand. But, this doesn't make any sense. Promote the pig?

"It's a trend mission, yo," Beat clarified. I stared at him questioningly.

"There are thirteen brands in Shibuya, man. Each one represents one of the animals of the Chinese zodiac. For the pig, the respective brand is Wild Boar. All we have to do is fight Noise using pins and wearing threads from that brand."

That's it? Just promote a brand? That Kabuto guy must be preparing us for tomorrow. Giving us a warm up.

Heh heh, fine by me. I'll do whatever the guy wants, and then give him what he deserves tomorrow.

* * *

**Shiki's POV**

The trip to WildKat was largely uneventful, not that anyone was complaining. When I saw Aaron unconscious in the street, I could only assume Neku had slipped up and almost revealed the Game to the fox, but managed to cover it up by playing the "I'm Felis Cantus, buster" card. Yes, I knew about Neku's singer career; he personally asked me to make the costumes for his music videos.

Aaron eventually came to, but by then, we were at Mr. Hanekoma's café. He and Eri stayed outside while Neku and I went in. We didn't want either of them to learn about the Game just yet.

"Hey there, Neku, Shiki!" Mr. Hanekoma greeted us. "Cup for the road?"

"Not right now, Mr. H," Neku responded. "There's something we need to ask you about."

Right then, Neku told Mr. H everything that has been going on, and the bits of evidence we uncovered. He looked progressively grim the more Neku told him.

"Do you… know anything about what the Grim Heaper might be planning?"

"I think so… Sho must be going after the Omnivincit Draught."

"Omnivincit Draught?" I asked.

Mr. H nodded grimly. "The Omnivincit Draught is an elixir of olden times. Whoever drinks this draught is said to be able to defeat any foe, no matter how big or powerful they may be."

I could easily see the gears turning in Neku's head. Minamimoto was clearly trying to recreate the draught so that he could defeat Joshua and become the new Composer. But… that still didn't explain why he would assassinate Sonic the Hedgehog… unless…

"The recipe has been largely lost to the years," Mr. Hanekome continued his explaination as if he had heard my thoughts. "However, some copies of it have been saved for emergencies. Although, there is one ingredient that's only good if you collect it in the UG."

"And what ingredient would that be?" Neku asked nervously.

"The blood of a well-known hero."

* * *

**And that is that for this chapter. Please read and review!**


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